Screenscrapers no threat in Asia, says Sprice.com
SINGAPORE – Sprice.com has played down fears that low cost airlines in Asia will take action against screen scrappers similar to an aggressive new policy adopted by Ryanair in Europe.
Ryanair recently initiated the cancellation of bookings that have been made through the so-called screen scrappers
Screen scrapers are those websites that make cost comparisons between different airlines, which can also be used for booking tickets.
According to Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary up to 1000 bookings are made with Ryanair through these websites everyday.
Vikas Gulati, vice president of Sprice.com Asia Pacific, said there could be implications “at some stage†for online travel agencies in Asia who tried to sell tickets for LCCs without authorisation.
“But it’s not much of a threat because the big players are not getting into that sort of business at the moment,†he said.
“As for Sprice.com, we are a distribution channel, it’s a marketing resource for suppliers. Bookings gets done on the supplier’s site, not ours.â€
Sprice.com is a major player in Europe, operating as a real time meta-search engine. All airfares, hotel rates and offers are constantly updated, not during certain time intervals.
Most Sprice.com revenues are derived from advertising, similar to Google. Suppliers are charged a fee when a consumer clicks on a supplier’s offer.
â€Our business proposition is to provide travel suppliers with a cost effective way to market their products that will deliver the highest ROI,†said Gulati.
“Consumers get to choose from the best possible offers. And even if we don’t have a relationship with a particular airline, we still search their fares and post the price.â€
With Singapore now positioned as its regional headquarters and supported by Walden International Singaporean team, Sprice said it also has plans underway to break into other key markets in Asia Pacific such as India, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements